Wall construction



Sept 12, 1944 J. J. MANoFsKY 2,358,277

WALL CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 7, 1941 F193. 2s w INVENTO John J. Nomos ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 12; 1944 UNITED STATES. PATENT oEFlcE WALL CONSTRUCTION John J. Manofsky, Warren, Ohio, assignor to National Gypsum Company, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application February 7, 1941, Serial No. 377,775

3 Claims. (Cl. 'J2-A6) This invention relates to building constructions and particularly to a novel wall construction.

In constructing building walls it is frequently desired to provide bearing, non-bearing, and partition walls with a smooth surface for being subsequently decorated and, as an example, reference may be had to a building wall of masonry, brick or other suitable material, wherein it is desired to provide the interior surface thereof with a finish coat of plaster which may or may not subsequently be provided with paint, wall paper or other decorating material.

In a building which has already been constructed, bearing, non-bearing, and partition walls presenting a rough or undesirable finish I may; by means of the present invention, be provided With a smooth, flat surface and subsequently decorated in any desired manner.

The present invention provides novel, practical and economical means for associating with bearing, non-bearing, or partition wall construction, a spaced strip, as, for instance, a baseboard, or the like, which strip may serve the plasterer as a guide or screed in establishing the thickness of the plaster coating to be applied.

In proceeding to employ the novel means of the present invention in the erection of a building wall having a `finished interior surface, a marginal trim element, which may comprise an elongate metallic base member, is provided at its opposite longitudinal edges with angular anges which form upper and lower facing channels. Any desired number of securing elements may be associated with such marginal element by assembling such securing elements in the opposed channels of the marginal element in a manner which is described below. Each of the securing elements is provided with means extending therefrom for securement to the building wall.

Such securement automatically disposes the marginal or trim element in final position, parallel to the unnished surface of the building wall but spaced forwardly thereof, preferably a distance equal to the `thickness of the nish coating material which is to be applied.

A complete and specic embodiment of the teachings of my invention is set forth below, by way of example only, although it will appear vto those skilled in the art to which the present invention appertains that many mechanical changes may be introduced without departing from the underlying principles of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the lower portion of one form of wall constructed in accordance with the teaching of my invention with portions brokenaway for added clearness;

Fig. 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the lower portion of the wall of Fig. 1 showing the base strip securing means; and l Fig. 3 is a detailed elevational view of apreierred form of the securing element of the invention.

In the drawing like characters of reference denote like parts and the numeral III designates a, wall of masonry or the like which may comprise a wall of a building. The numeral II indicates the inner side of such wall in Fig. 2, Fig. 1 being taken looking at such inner side.

The numeral I2 denotes an interior trim strip which in the illustrated instance is a base member having a vertically lextending body portion which, in the finished construction, extends lengthwise along a room just above the floor. The base member I2 is preferably provided along its top and bottom edges with angularly extending flanges I3 and I4, respectively, which provide facing openings for the reception of base member securing devices which will now be described.

A base member securing device is indicated at I6 and comprises a flat base portion, preferably somewhat elongate in a vertical direction. Each of the securing devices I6 is provided at its lower end with an offset I1 which terminates in a flange I8 extending parallel to the base portion of the device. The offset I1 disposes the flange I8 a predetermined lateral distance from the base portion of the securing device, in the illustrated instance approximately the thickness of the plaster coating which is subsequently applied to the building wall I0. An upwardly directed ear 20 may be struck directly from the body of the securing device IB and is preferably arranged to have its terminal portion disposed in substantially thesame plane as the flange I8, for cooperation therewith. In the form illustrated the vertical distance from the top of the ear 20 to the bottom of the flange I8 is substantially equal to the space between the bottoms of the facing openings or channels formed by the flanges I3 and I4 of the base member I2, preferably `plus a slight additional distance providing for spring compression of the securing member in the base member in assembled condition to assurce rigid assembly of the elements I2 and I6.

It is intended that the securing device I6 be assembled with respect to the base member I2 by disposing the ear 20 and the ange I8 against the inner face of the member I2` with the device I8 extending horizontally. then rotating the securing device to the vertical position shown in the drawing, with the ear 2l disposed in the upper ,opening or channel formed by the nange I3 and the nange Il disposed in the lower opening or channel formed by the flange I4.

To permit rotative assembling movement of the device I6 the lower edge of the nange Il is preferably curved, as shown in detail in Fig. 3. When curved as there shown assembly will be effected by counter-clockwise rotation of the securing device as seen in Fiss. 1 and 3. It willbe noted that the curved portion oi' the flange I8 in Fig. 3 is produced by striking an arc from a center slightly to the right of the vertical center line of the securing device. By this means a slight over center action is provided which resiliently prevents aocidental disassembly of the securing device. To remove the securing device from its position of assembly with respect to a base member by clockwise rotation of the former, it is necessary to slightly ilex the flange I8 and the ear 20 of the securing device toward each other. The securing elements will have sufficient natural resilience for this purpose,

It will be noted that the base portion of the securing device I8 extends upwardly substantially beyond the upper edge of the associated base member l2 and such upwardly extending portion may be perforated as at 23 to receive suitable fasteners. such as nails 24 or the like. In the form shown, the securing device is provided, for purposes of reinforcement, with longitudinally formed embossments 25.

In using the novel means herein disclosed in the construction of a finished building wall, two or more of the securing devices IB are engaged with a base member I2 and after such securing devices are in finally assembled position with respect to the base member, the entire structure is disposed against an unfinished building wall, as, for instance, the masonry wall I0. 'I'he structure is then secured to such 'wall by nailing, or the like.

In one form, the wall of my invention is completed by applying a finish coat of plaster, or the like, which may as in the case of the plaster coat 2B in the form shown in Figs. l and 2, be

ilush with the outer face of the base member I2. 'I'he plaster used in providing the coat 2i may. al in the illustrated instance, substantially fill the space between the base member l2 and the building `wall I 0.

What is claimed is:

1. In building construction, a wall, a baseboard having formations providing channels at its uP- per and lower edges, and a baseboard securing element comprising oppositely directed ears disposed in a common plane, the dimension across said ears being approximately the same as the distance between the bottoms of said channel formations and comprising the major dimension of said element whereby the ears may be engaged in said opposite channels by relative rotation of said element with respect to the baseboard to dispose said securing element against the back of said baseboard, said securing element having means disposed in a plane spaced laterally from the plane of said ears for securement to said wall, one of said ears having a rounded corner to facilitate rotational engagement and a square corner to limit rotation when said element is in properly assembled position.

2. A building element comprising a substantially flat portion for securement against a building wall, an outwardly extending offset iiange at one end thereof, and an offset ear intermediate of said fiat portion and directed away from said flange to provide therewith a pair oi' oppositely directed substantially co-planar projections for engagement with a baseboard or the like, said iiat portion extending substantially be'- yond said intermediate ear in the direction op'- posite to said oii'set flange to permit access thereto for securement to said building wall.

3. A building element comprising a substantially iiat portion perforated at one end for securement to a building wall, an outwardly extending oiset flange at the opposite end thereof, and an oiset ear intermediate of said flange and said perforated portion and directed away from said ange to provide therewith a pair of oppositely directed substantially co-planar projections for engagement with a baseboard or the like.

JOHN J. MANOFSKY. 

